Girdano Family History

I'm not the only one following Able Company!

Danielle Girdano's grandfather, Daniel Girdano, served with Able Company on Iwo Jima. She bought him a vial of sand from Iwo for christmas in 2003, and the result was turned into a touring memorial.

Whole story here.

65 Years Ago...

...Able Company made the landing on Saipan.

June 15, 1944

Bernard Elissagaray Papers

To be ordered on Monday: nine albums of photographs and souvenirs. Seven are for Elissagaray's two decades in the Merchant Marines - the other two are from Able Company!

Album #1:

• Marine Corps enlistment orders, dated 29 September,1943.
• Map of Australia and Oceania
• Map of California
• Boot Camp photo of 932^nd Platoon
• Facsimile San Francisco newspaper announcing BE's enlistment
• Telegram & letter from Navy informing BE's mother of his being wounded on Tinian, 24 July, 1944.
• Purple Heart citation
• Photo of BE in hospital
• BE's "Ancient Order of the Deep" membership card
• Copy of Presidential Unit Citation awarded the Fourth Marine Division
• BE's commendation letter
• BE's commendation citation
• BE's Honorable Discharge certificate
• 41 misc. photos of BE in servie
• 9.5 x 12 inches red sun w/ Japanese script cloth flag labeled: "About the 23^rd day on Saipan I Captured a Jap nurse that had been wounded, from her I took he battle flag."
• Photo of 2 marines holding a Japanese flag
• Six photographs and three postcards labeled: "On the next two pages are photos of the immediate families of Jap Soldiers who of their own free will chose to die."
• Four hand-sewn cloth "Jap Emblems" (probably insignias from uniforms.)
• 16 "Jap Postes" (postcards)

Album #2

Typed notice at the front of this album reads:

The Souvenirs and Photographs on the following pages were taken on Saipan in the Marianas Islands. The Campaign took place in June of 1944, the Second & Fourth Marine Divisions assaulted and took not only Saipan but also Tinian which lies three miles away. I belonged to the Twenty-fourth Regiment A Co. of the Fourth Marine Division. My principle duties are classified as a rifleman.

• 55 photographs mounted on 10 pages. 3.5 x 4.5 inch black & white photographs of battle action & aftermath.
• 13 postcards with Japanese writing.
• 7 misc. printed documents in Japanese with some manuscript notes. (Pay vouchers, or scrip?)
• Printed map "Saipan Island Bech Diagram No. 5". 20 x 20 inches, folded.
• 2 copies printed sheet "4^th Division Landing Information Sheet". Printed at top: "Restricted. Not to be taken ashore on D-Day." Map on verso.
• 6 misc. Japanese documents, labeled "War Bonds".
• 3 manuscript letters in Japanese.
• 3 unknown documents printed in Japanese.
• Printed map "Saipan Beach Diagram No. 2". 19 x 20 inches, folded.
• 3 manuscript letters w/ envelopes, in Japanese.
• 5 samples of Japanese money.
• Printed map "Saipan Beach Diagram No. 1". 19 x 16.5 inches, folded.
• Color map of the Mariana Islands. 8 x 11 inches, text in Japanese.
• Printed sheet of "Combat Phrases" with phonetic translations in Japanese. 6 x 8 inches.
• Map of region. 6 x 8 inches
• Aerial photograph of the beaches on Saipan. 15 x 20 inches, folded.
• 11 samples of Japanese money.
• 58 "War Photographs of various campaigns of Pacific War." 3.5 x 4.5 inches, black & white, labeled in the print.